Shoe form



Aug. 20, 1929. LEGGE 1,725,589

SHOE FORM Filed Dec. 13, 1927 Patented Au 2c, 1929.

U i ETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED G. LEG'GE, OF BROCKTGN, MAESACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR- TO U. S. PIER-GE COIVL PANY, 0F BROCKTGN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE FOR-M.

Application filed December 13, 1927. Serial No. 239,771.

This invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to bottomless shoe forms for boots and shoes. These forms are ordinarily made of fibre or other light sheet material, such as celluloid and are used for insertion in footwear to keep it in shape and to prevent wrinkling or cracking, and particularly as followers in shoe factories, and for display or advertising purposes generally. It is desirable that the form be readily insertable and removable from the footwear and that each form have some latitude in the size of boot or shoe in which it may be used. Vfhile the toe portion of the form may be inserted and used satisfactorily in shoes varying considerably in size, difiiculty is encountered in the heel portion which if stiff and unyielding cannot be used satisfactorily in a variety of styles and widths, and if flexible and yielding fails to provide the proper support and permits sagging or slumping of the upper.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hollow shoe form having a heel portion which is flexible, permitting its use in a variety of shapes and sizes of footwear and having a brace or reenforcing member whereby the heel portion may be expanded within a boot or shoe and made to provide a rigid and substantial support therefor.

In the drawings and the following description I have set forth more fully the advantages and described in detail one embodiment of my invention, the novel features of which are set forth and defined in the claims:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a shoe form embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 38, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing my form partly inserted within a shoe.

The shoe form described herein comprises the toe portion A, the side portions S, and the heel portion H. This form may be constructed in any suitable manner but preferably is formed integrally from a light stiff material such, for example, as celluloid.

Preferably the toe portion of the form is carried over at the bottom forming the bottom flanges 8 and 9 and thereby giving the form the proper shape and rigidity along the line of the bottom of the upper. A brace 10 may be provided bridging the cut-away bottom of the form and secured at its ends to the flanges 8 and 9 as shown at 11 and 12 respectively to give adequate rigidity to the toe portion.

The heel portion. H is slit vertically thereby separating the side walls at this portion. of the shoe form by a space indicated at 13 in Figs. 2 and 3. Due to the slit the heel portion of the form is freely collapsible without affecting the rigidity of the toe portion. In order to strengthen the heel portion and to give it the rigidity desired, I provide a brace or reenforeing member 14: which may be constituted by a strap of the same material from which the form is made. This brace is preferably curved to conform to the shape of the heel and is pivotally mounted within the form by attaching its ends to the respective side walls of the form as shown at 15 and 16. The brace is positioned within the form in such a manner that when in horizontal position, it will provide continuous contact with the interior wall of the heel port-ion as shown in Fig. 2 and exert outward pressure thereagainst.

It will be readily seen that the brace member 14: being freely rotatable may also be turned up into vertical position and serve as a tab or gripping means for inserting or withdrawing the form in use as shown in Fig. 4.

In the operation of my device, the brace or strap 14 will initially be turned up in vertical position for convenience in handling the form, leaving the heel portion unsupported and flexible. The brace, however, even when in vertical position, provides sufficient support so that it prevents the heel portion from being altogether collapsed, causing cracking or breaking of the form. When the form has been introduced into the boot or shoe in which it is to be used, the reenforcing member 14 is turned into horizontal position thereby bringing it into contact with the interior surface of the heel and expanding it outwardly giving the proper shape and support to the shoe in whichit is used.

I claim:

1. A hollow shoe form having toe and heel portions, said heel portion having relatively movable ends, a brace member having a portion curved to conform to the shape of the inside of the heel portion, and means for supporting said brace member within the shoe form for movement into position to contact with the inside of the heel portion to resist relative movement of said ends.

2. A hollow shoe form having a flexible heel portion, and means for giving rigidity to said heel portion comprising a brace pivotally mounted within said form and shaped to contact with the inside 0i the heel portion to prevent collapse of the form.

3. A hollow shoe form comprising a rigid toe portion and a heel portion formed by two side portions having relatively movable rear ends, and a U-shaped brace pivoted at its ends to the respective side portions and capable of moving about the pivots into position in contact with the movable rear ends of the side members to prevent collapse of the rear portion of the form.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALFRED G. LEGGE. 

